


Heaven

by Nuju



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 23:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13937718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuju/pseuds/Nuju
Summary: Soleila Reyn, daughter of Imperial Captain Gilad Pellaeon, has fallen in love with her father's superior, Grand Admiral Thrawn, only shortly before Thrawn's last battle at Bilbringi. (Thrawn X OC, a short lovestory)





	1. Maybe

Captain Gilad Pellaeon of the Imperial Stardestroyer _Chimaera_ stepped over to the communications officer to glance at the display. “Tell the rest of the fleet to prepare for light speed. We’ll need to reach Bilbringi in five standard minutes.”

“Understood, Captain”, the young woman replied and nodded firmly.

With a much softer voice, the Captain added. “Are you sure you want to stay on the bridge, Sola?”

Soleila Reyn nodded again, though much slower. “You don’t have to worry about me, father. I am pregnant, not ill.” She issued the order and gave her station to the man standing next to her. She exited the pit with Pellaeon, her green Imperial Uniform barely holding together over her belly.

Pellaeon did not like the idea of having her on the bridge with her current condition. She was almost nine months pregnant by now and the MD droid in the _Chimaeras_ medical facility had urged her to avoid any stressful situations from now on, fearing the labor could commence prematurely.

But despite all his best efforts, the Captain could not talk his twenty-year-old daughter out of her stubbornness. She was, after all, just like her mother.

Sola was of average height, only a few centimeters shorter than her father. She had pale skin and dark blue eyes, which seemed to take in everything that was happening around her. Her slender face was framed by long thick curls, which had the color of dark chocolate.

“I am only worried about your wellbeing, Mayor”, Pellaeon added as he offered her his arm. She gently took it and placed her other hand on his upper arm. “You need not worry, Captain. I am perfectly fine here.”

“I see”, he answered briskly though he did not believe it. At least not entirely.

“Your concern is noted, Captain”, a familiar voice interjected. Both, father and daughter, looked up to see Grand Admiral Thrawn seating himself on the Admiral’s command chair. “But I believe we have more important things to do, wouldn’t you agree?”

Pellaeon stiffened and saluted the Admiral. “Yes, Sir”, he answered sharply, letting go of Sola’s arm. The mayor mirrored his action, but not as fast as the Captain himself. Thrawn waved his hand dismissively. “Begin preparations for light speed, Captain.”

“Yes, Sir”, Pellaeon said and went back into the pits of the bridge.

 

 

“Mayor Reyn”, Thrawn then said and beckoned to Sola. She turned her attention from Pellaeon to the Admiral and followed his request. She stopped right next to the Admiral’s chair. He rose to his feet as she did so and fixed his glowing red eyes on her.

“Yes, Admiral?” she answered and returned his gaze.

“Are you alright?” The question startled her. “Admiral, aren’t we supposed…?”

“I asked…” he murmured, his perfectly modulated voice colder and harder than ice “if you’re alright.”

She swallowed and nodded. “I am, Admiral. I am well enough to assist in the attack.”

Thrawn’s gaze remained as hard as it was, but only for an instance, then his mimics softened. “I don’t want you to be on the bridge, if it threatens your wellbeing, _Mayor_.”

Soleila felt the tension easing between them and smiled slightly. “I thank you for your concern, Admiral, but it is unfounded. There is no need to worry.”

His expression turned into disquiet. “I only want to be sure.” Her smile widened and she started to reach for his hand but stopped herself before anyone could see it. “Rest assured, Admiral, you need not concern yourself with anything of the sort.”

A sly smile appeared on his lips as he sat down on the Admiral’s chair. “Dismissed, Mayor Reyn.”

She saluted again although he did not look at her as she returned to her station. She watched him for another moment as he instructed Pellaeon about the battle plan, noticing every detail about his movement and posture. He had a regal aura about himself, graceful and noble like a king. Maybe even more than the Emperor back when he was still alive, but certainly more than most of the people Sola had ever known. His white uniform perfectly framed his pale blue skin and his black-blue eyebrows and hair… She found herself staring at him for quite a long time before she hastily turned to her console to continue her work. Then Thrawn, Supreme Leader of the remains of the Galactic Empire, Warlord and the only non-human to ever achieve the rank of Grand Admiral, issued the command. “Jump to light speed when you are ready, Captain.”

As the stars turned into lines and then to the endless blue of hyperspace, Sola could not help but smile dreaming about the future, about Thrawn and her… and their still unborn child.


	2. Flashback

_Sola jerked from her sleep. A nightmare? She was not entirely sure about it. But something had startled her in the midst of her sleep. It took her a moment to regain her composure when she finally realized where she was. And it was not her tiny bunk in the ship’s crew quarters. She let her gaze drift across the room and turned slightly around to find… it took her mind another moment to put together the pieces. Next to her, covered with a blanket up to his shoulders, his slim but wiry upper body only moving slightly with every breath he took, his glowing red eyes completely closed, lay Thrawn. Grand Admiral Thrawn. For a while she watched him, his steady and rhythmic breathing the only movement he made. She settled herself back on the pillow facing him, watching his face while lying on her side._

_So it had not been her imagination. She was here. It was real. And she did in fact not regret anything… “You need to stop staring at me”, he suddenly muttered, unfreezing her from her awe._

_“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I thought you were asleep.”_

_Thrawn opened his eyes carefully and gazed at her. “It is hard to sleep when someone lying next to you moves rather quickly.” She lowered her gaze, avoiding those glowing eyes and pulling the blanket over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Admiral. It is just that…” He interrupted her. “There’s no need to apologize for anything you could never possibly hope to be in control of.”_

_She sighed a little and closed her eyes for another moment, then rolled on her back. “I feel like I’m still dreaming… like I did not wake up but instead switched from a nightmare to… whatever this is…”_

_Thrawn pulled himself up on one elbow and let his eyes move across her face. “Whatever this is?”_

_She looked at him, only to find him smiling slyly. “You’re making fun out of me?” she said but could not help but smile, too. Thrawn’s smile turned into a chuckle, more a vibration in his throat than anything else. He lifted both his eyebrows politely. “Well, Ms. Reyn, if I had to judge this situation based on battle tactics and art”, he said gazing around the room, “I suppose this would very well qualify as an intimate engagement.”_

_She shook her head but laughed. “You’re all about arts and battles, aren’t you?”_

_He lowered his head for a moment then he looked up, not moving his head. “If that is what you believe, Ms. Reyn.” She held his gaze. “I believe there is more to you than just that.”_

_He lifted an eyebrow. “And what led you to this interesting conclusion?”_

_She smiled softly and reached out her hand to carefully caress his cheek. “The fact that we are even having this conversation.”_

_He tilted his head slightly and watched her, his eyes fixed on her face, taking in every little bit of information he could get from her expression. She looked back, doing likewise. She could not quite put into words or even thoughts what exactly this man was. A genius? A brilliant tactician with a huge amount of knowledge on almost every species in the Known and Unknown Regions? A madman who was constantly working on the edge of insanity? A man at all? A king? She could not grasp it. He radiated authority like nobody Sola had ever known. He was stern, focused, dedicated, passionate and always remained cool but driven nonetheless. She understood quite well why her father had chosen to follow him. There was nothing more reassuring than Thrawn’s incredible believe in the Empire and his unstoppable will to save and rebuild it. Yet there was something else about him. An aura that gave him his regal authority, yes, but that was not all._

_“It is interesting to watch you think, Sola.”_

_She blushed and withdrew her hand from his cheek. “Sometimes I feel like you have the ability to read minds but then again I remember that you are neither Jedi nor Sith.”_

_He took her hand with his free one and intertwined his fingers with hers. Her look fell on his hand as he did so, noting the sharp contrast between his pale blue and her pale, almost white skin. Yet somehow they complimented each other perfectly._

_He did not lift his eyes from their hands as he spoke. “I believe that it does not require any special abilities to read another person’s mind though this is hardly the term I would use to describe what I’m doing.” His eyes flicked to hers. “I don’t have to use any mind tricks to know the person I’m conferring with. The posture, the tone of their voices, their expressions, and the look in their eyes is all that is needed to understand a person. But to fully and truly_ know _them…”_

_His cheek twitched just noticeably. “There is no way to do so. None that I know.”_

_She smiled gently and squeezed his hand, watching him still. Thrawn’s gaze stayed out of focus for just another second, then he met her gaze and smiled. “But I may be wrong.”_

_He leaned in to kiss her tenderly. Not rash or fiery like the night before. Not filled with that passion that took her breath away. But with a soothing warmth that made her melt into it even faster, completely forgetting about the nightmare she had had only minutes ago. After half an eternity she opened her eyes again and to find herself staring in his, a curious look on his face._

_She lifted her free hand to let it slide carefully over his neck into his thick blue-black hair. “What is it?”_

_Thrawn smiled, his lips again touching hers slightly, the most honest smile she had ever seen on his face. “I’m still trying to understand what has happened and what is happening right now in this moment.” He lowered his eyes to lift them up again._

_She gently moved her hand through his hair and smiled warmly. “I suppose we’ll have to find out.”_

_And with that she pulled him close to kiss him again, as he leaned over her and pressed their intertwined hands softly on the pillow beside her._


	3. Home Is In My Hands

Pellaeon knew the battle was lost as he issued the command for retreat. He could see the defeated look in everyone’s eyes. The absolute certainty that the Empire would die. The knowledge that everything they fought for was now lost. Now… now that Grand Admiral Thrawn had died. Or did he?

The Captain of the _Chimaera_ looked from the front side viewport back to the Admiral’s chair where he thought Thrawn was seated, the slender assassin’s knife of his bodyguard Rukh right in the middle of his chest. Rukh had run Pellaeon over and the Captain was only know getting back to his feet – only to realize that Thrawn was no longer seated on the chair.

The medics had been on the bridge sooner than Pellaeon imagined they’d be able to. Four of them hoovered over the Grand Admiral trying everything in their abilities to safe the pale blue man. But deep inside, Pellaeon knew with the same certainty that Thrawn was as dead as the Empire. His throat tightened even more as he realized that Sola was standing right next to him, simply staring at the almost lifeless body of Thrawn. He turned to her, reaching out to put an arm around her shoulders so she would not have to rely on her shaking knees. But he never got the chance to comfort her. As soon as he reached out she broke off into a run to Thrawn’s side, which was halted by one of the medics. Yet as she leaned forward to get to Thrawn, the other ones who were trying all they could to keep him alive stopped at a sign of Thrawn’s hand.

So he wasn’t dead yet, Pellaeon thought, a glimpse of hope coming back to his heart. But he saw now that it was nothing more than a glimpse. Thrawn was in no condition to survive. Nothing they could do would save him, so the Admiral himself had ordered them to stop, not to waste their resources in vain. Until the very end, he was still the Grand Admiral everyone had learned to respect and admire. But now, now that the medics backed away from him, now that Sola could reach him, he suddenly saw something else in Thrawn. The Grand Admiral was for a moment not what everyone saw in him. For a moment, he was…

Pellaeon stiffened as he realized it. He was not just _Grand Admiral Thrawn_. He was the only man his daughter would ever love. And as Sola gently pulled Thrawn’s head on her lap, the Captain felt a pain that must have been similar to the feeling Thrawn had when Rukh’s knife had pierced his heart. Gilad Pellaeon knew he would never see Sola smile again once Thrawn closed his eyes forever. But the worst thing about it was that his grandchild would never know the beauty of her mother’s laughter.

 

 

Sola cradled Thrawn’s head on her lap, gently moving her fingers through his hair and caressing his cheek. He was so pale, the glow of his eyes seemed to decrease with every single heartbeat. But nonetheless, he smiled at her, a strange look in his eyes.

“I should… have known”, he managed to say, his voice still deep and modulated but it sounded fragile, “I should have… stopped them… when I had… the chance.”

She kissed him gently on the forehead, her voice steady. “Be still, there is no need to concern yourself with the past. We’ll get you into the Bacta tank and you’ll be just fine.”

Thrawn chuckled slightly, a sound that mixed with a gurgle and coughing. “I will… not be fine. Not in the way you imagine it, Sola.”

She shook her head. “Don’t say that… you can’t simply…”

He smiled and reached out a hand to carefully rub away a tear from her cheek. “Don’t be afraid.”

She met his gaze and leaned her head gently against his hand. “I’m not…”

Thrawn lifted his eyebrow, his expression still warm. “You need… all the strength you have… you have to… take care of two beings… from now on…”

Her expression, which she so tightly tried to maintain as composed as she could, fell with a wave of tears. “Thraina will need us both”, she muttered no longer trying to control her voice. It was trembling, even more than her entire body itself.

The Grand Admiral’s gaze turned softer, a warm smile touching his lips. They had never discussed names and she had not told him if it was a boy or girl. Until now.

His thumb rubbed her cheek. “Thraina…” he whispered. “Tell Thraina… that I love her…”

She nodded, not able to speak she leaned forward to kiss him one last time. But just as her lips touched his, she could feel his whole body turning limb. She looked at his eyes, which were half closed, staring out into nothingness. The glow had completely vanished.

Gently, tenderly, Sola pulled his lifeless corpse into an embrace and wept openly. She could hear her own crying echo across the bridge, a hollow sound that called back to her from the emptiness and coldness of the space that surrounded the _Chimaera_.  


End file.
